Story creation is an ancient and cross-cultural career, and yet even those of us with book deals frequently get asked what our "real jobs" are. No wonder so many of us have Imposter Syndrome! Author, storyteller, and librarian Susan Metallo will share the history of creating stories and the science of how stories affect the human brain, using that information to nail down what makes our work meaningful and important. From there, we'll explore how we can apply those principles when choosing the stories we tell. Participants will leave this webinar armed with exercises for finding the "emotional truth" of their projects and a research-based elevator speech for explaining the value of their work. This webinar will be recorded and available to registered attendees for 30 days following the event.
How to Register
This webinar is included for free with the SCBWI-NM Full Season Pass or Career Pass. If you have a pass, do not register here. Check your Member Home-->Events for the Zoom link. If you DO NOT have a pass (or if you have the Craft Pass) you can register by clicking the "Register for Event" button in the header.
About Susan
Susan Metallo is a young adult author and librarian. Her debut novel, Reasons to Hate Me, was an Indie Next Kids title (Sept/Oct 2025) and Indies Introduce Kids selection (Summer/Fall 2025) and won a SCBWI Work-in-Progress Award and the Tallahassee Writers Association Seven Hills Literary Contest in the YA category. In addition to these honors, her work has been recognized by Book Pipeline and published in Ladybug, Cricket, The Seven Hills Review, and Publishers Weekly. She currently serves as the Regional Advisor for SCBWI in New Mexico, where she lives with her husband, her children, and an 80-lb bulldog who fervently believes she will fit on your lap. Find Susan online at susanmetallo.com.